鴨汁をごちそうすると言われ、大根汁を振る舞われた吉四六さん、次の日庄屋様の家に慌てて飛び込んで来ました。
Kicchomu, who had been told he would feast on duck soup, but had been served daikon soup, burst into the village's leader's house the next day in a state of panic.
「た、た、大変だ庄屋様！ オラの庭が、鴨でいっぱいだ！」
"I...it's terrible, Chief! My garden, it's full of ducks!"
「なんだって！？」
"What did you say?"
庄屋様は鉄砲を引っ掴んで吉四六さんの畑に来ました。
The village headman seized his rifle and went to Kicchomu's vegetable plot.
ところが。
畑には青首大根がずらりと並んでいるばかり。鴨の姿は一羽だってありません。
However, in the field was nothing but the green tops of daikon radishes. There was no sign of even one duck.
庄屋様は、目を細めて大根の葉っぱの間をじぃっと見つめてみますが、鴨はおろか、雀もカラスもいませんでした。
The headman narrowed his eyes and carefully examined the radish leaves, but there wasn't even a sparrow or a crow, let alone a duck.
「おい……吉四六？」
"Hey, Kicchomu?"
「何でしょう？ 庄屋様？」
"What is it, Chief?"
「鴨はどこだ？」
"Where are the ducks?"
「何を仰っておりますやら。ほれ庄屋様、そこに鴨がおるでしょう？」
"What are you saying, Chief? Don't you see the ducks over there?
吉四六は畑の大根のある辺りを指さします。
Kicchomu pointed toward the field of radishes.
「どこにおる？ 鴨の姿はさっぱり見えないが？ どこの陰におる？」
"Where are they? I don't see any sign of any ducks. Where in the world are they?"
「ほれそこ、そこです、陰も何も丸見えでしょう」
"They're right there, as plain as the nose on your face!"
吉四六さんはニヤニヤ笑いながら、一番手前の大根を指さしました。
Kicchomu, with a broad grin on his face, pointed to the first row of radishes.
「昨日の鴨汁にも劣らん、大きくて立派な鴨が、びっしりと土から生えておりましょう？」
"Are those big, splendid ducks, growing so closely together from the ground, in any way inferior to yesterday's duck soup?"
そこまで言われて、庄屋様もようやく気付きました。
When he said that, it finally dawned on the headman what this was all about.
吉四六さんは、大根の汁を鴨汁だと言った庄屋様の言葉を逆手に取って、大根を鴨だと言ったことに。
Kicchomu, who had been told that the daikon soup he'd been served was duck soup by the headman, was turning his words against him, and saying that his daikon radishes were ducks.
「なるほど」
"I see."
庄屋様はうなりました。
The village chief groaned.
「どうです庄屋様、ほら鴨じゃ、鴨じゃ、立派な鴨じゃ！」
"How are they, Chief? Look at the ducks, the ducks, the splendid ducks!"
吉四六さん、大はしゃぎです。
Kicchomu was having a grand old time.
「そら鴨じゃよ、庄屋様、ほら立派で首の青い鴨じゃ！ わははは、鴨じゃ鴨、庄屋様の晩飯は、今日も鴨汁のごちそうじゃな」
"Look at the ducks, Chief, look at the splendid heads of green ducks! Wahahaha, ducks, ducks, our chief will feast on duck soup again tonight!
はしゃぎ、笑いまくる吉四六さんから視線を逸らした庄屋様は。
The chieftain turned his head from sight of the merrily laughing Kicchomu.
「なるほど吉四六」
"I see, Kicchomu."
鉄砲に弾を込め、胴火で火縄に火をつけました。
He loaded his gun, and cocked the hammer.
「え？ 庄屋様？」
"Huh? Chief?"
吉四六さんの「どうだ顔」が固まります。
Kicchomu's "How do you like that" face froze.
「立派な、鴨じゃのぉ」
"Indeed, they are splendid ducks."
庄屋様は大根に狙いを定めると。
The chieftain took careful aim at a radish.
ズドン！
Bang!
鴨撃ち用の粒弾を受け、大根が飛び散りました。
Hit by the shot meant to take down a duck, the radish shattered.
「し、庄屋様！？」
"Ch...chief?"
驚く吉四六さんに高?ｸ、庄屋様は早合で次弾装填、再び発砲します。
Paying no mind to the surprised Kicchomu, the headman had already reloaded, and shot once more.
「うわっ、ちょっ、庄屋様！ 待って待って！」
"Woah, hold on, Chief! Wait, wait!"
ズドン！
Bang!
「鴨じゃ鴨じゃ！
"They're ducks! They're ducks!"
ズドン！
Bang!
「鴨じゃ鴨じゃ吉四六！」
They're ducks, they're ducks, Kicchomu!"
次々にカラ早合が地面に散らばっていきます。
One by one the shells littered the ground.
「ぎゃはははは、鴨じゃ！ ぎゃはははははは！」
"Kyahahahaha, they're ducks! Kyahahahahaha!
「止めやめてくれえええええ！」
"Pleeeeease stop!"
ズドン！
Bang!
ズドン！
Bang!
ズドン！
Bang!

血色の夕日に染まった畑に僅かに残った大根が、まるで墓標のように長い、長い影を落とす。
As the field was stained red by the evening sun, the few remaining radishes cast long, long shadows like gravestones.
立ちこめた大根と硝煙の臭いは、当分消えそうになかった。
It seemed that the stench of gunpowder that had enveloped the radishes had not yet dissapated.